Casablanca: movie review

Writing a movie review about Casablanca only 70 years after its release doesn't seem that bad. After all tonight was the first time I had ever seen it and only now I fully understand the evocative power many other film critics attribute to this movie.

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Casablanca was released in 1942 and is a heartbreaking love story, set in an exotic city and in difficult times. Despite someone now used to much faster and direct movies might say that this is a boring, old movie I found it quite funny and well paced. The photography is really good, the soft focus stressed on Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid and Humphrey Bogart is incredibly appropriate and gives a dreamlike tone to the most dramatic last scenes. The cast as a whole is really good as well, every single character is at the same time a caricature and a denial of national stereotypes. Watching a movie like this right now in 2012 is somewhat magic, as it can transport you back in time, where things were so much different than they are right now.

Smoking and drinking. There's lots of cigarettes and drinks in Casablanca, a quantity and use that would never make it to Hollywood movies nowadays.

Women. Ingrid Bergman in this movie is just beautiful, haughty, divine. Despite the apparent strength of the character the woman played by her looks now almost weak; very dependent and clueless without the support of a strong willing man next to her. This conclusion is superficial though, because the character of Ilsa is also quite strong in my opinion. It must be hard to be divided between two loves, and it must be awful to know the time to choose will eventually arrive and destroy you. Her character is so open, caring and also daring that any viewer inevitably sympathizes with her on an emotional level.

The score. Besides the abuse of La Marseillaise the overall music is good, especially for "It Had to Be You" by Isham Jones.

Ultimately, if you are not into black and white movies you should change your mind just to see Casablanca and realize how much glamor the old b&w can give to a story. 

Oh and this quote is priceless "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."